BioWare and EA Aren’t Involved with the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake

[Tsing]

Image: Aspyr Media



Aspyr Media, Lucasfilm Games, and Sony Interactive Entertainment confirmed this week that a remake of BioWare’s legendary Star Wars RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, is officially in development. Aspyr has promised that the game will be an intensive remake that’s built from the ground up, but it appears that the original developers will not be involved at all.



The Game Awards’ Geoff Keighley shot off an inquiry to BioWare and EA after the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake announcement, and he received a message from a spokesperson that suggested neither company had, or would, be contributing anything toward the game. EA only pointed out its older Star Wars titles and confirmed that it would be working on other games related to the franchise.



I asked Bioware (and EA) if they are involved in the STAR WARS...

Continue reading...

 

[Dan_D]

It's rarely a good sign when a remake of a game gets made by someone other than the original developers. Supposedly, some of the original team are in fact working at Aspyr. However, I'm cautious about this one given that the head writer for the remake is a vile human being. The game is being "rewritten for modern audiences" which sounds a lot like code for "politically infused dumpster fire."

We'll see though.

 

[Denpepe]

It's rarely a good sign when a remake of a game gets made by someone other than the original developers. Supposedly, some of the original team are in fact working at Aspyr. However, I'm cautious about this one given that the head writer for the remake is a vile human being. The game is being "rewritten for modern audiences" which sounds a lot like code for "politically infused dumpster fire."

We'll see though.

How many people who originally made the game would still be at bioware after all these years? Turnover in Videogame industry is pretty high with the odd exeption here or there.

 

[hubaduba]

I see this following the path of VTMB2.

 

[Brian_B]

I’m perfectly ok with BioWare not being involved in much of anything anymore.

 

[Endgame]

How many people who originally made the game would still be at bioware after all these years? Turnover in Videogame industry is pretty high with the odd exeption here or there.

I’m not even sure what the exceptions are, unless you’re counting studio heads? Like Chris Roberts has been at the same place for years… but is that a good thing?

 

[MadMummy76]

I’m not even sure what the exceptions are, unless you’re counting studio heads? Like Chris Roberts has been at the same place for years… but is that a good thing?

People who make a name for themselves are more often poached and moving around, but low to mid level artists and designers not so much. And they are as much a part of the game as management, if not more so.

 

[Dan_D]

How many people who originally made the game would still be at bioware after all these years? Turnover in Videogame industry is pretty high with the odd exeption here or there.

Not many. But that's kind of my point. When you have a game being remade by another development team, it can change the game in many ways. Some good, some not. Evidently, there are some developers from the original team at Aspyr which would normally be a good thing. However, the fact that the game's story is being rewritten is a serious red flag for me.

 

[Grimlakin]

However, the fact that the game's story is being rewritten is a serious red flag for me.

Agreed... and I am a customer that would have pre ordered if that hadn't rocked my faith in the game. This isn't a remaster it's a reboot. No thank you.

 

[Dan_D]

Agreed... and I am a customer that would have pre ordered if that hadn't rocked my faith in the game. This isn't a remaster it's a reboot. No thank you.

They've clearly used the word "remake" not "remaster." Honestly, for a game so old a remake is the better way to go so long as they keep the soul of what made the game great in the first place. Again, the issue is always change "too much" and the game fails. Change "too little" and there isn't a point in making the new game.

Ideally, I would like the same game with Fallen Order's combat system and entirely new visuals. They can keep the original voice work as far as I'm concerned. But, doing everything over gives opportunity for improvement and I understand that. The big problem with re-writing the story and dialog to any degree is that it has to be done with great care. The person doing it needs to understand what made the original work on a deep and nuanced level in order to maintain those things in the rewrite.

You have to understand what made the story work, why it resonated with people. You have to understand the characters and what their function within the narrative is. You have to maintain the core of what the characters are while updating them for modern audiences. I know that phrase is terrifying, but it's literally what every single reboot, remake and reimaging ever set out to do. The best ones expand on the original material in a way that's consistent and respectful to what came before while taking advantage of what can be done in a reboot.

It's a hard line to walk and my concerns revolve around the person doing the rewrite doesn't understand the original game and just wants to make it politically relevant and change characters so they'll all be representative of the alphabet people.

 

[MadMummy76]

But it is clearly not a reboot. Rebooting means throwing out the entire story so far, and starting blank. A'la Tomb Raider.

A remake is re-building the game from the grounds up including re-writing, re-mixing, re-recording lines. Ex.: Mafia Definitive Edition

A remaster is leaving the fundamentals in place and doing superficial changes, like lighting, re-texturing, maybe upgrading the engine version the game is running on, but leaving most of the code unchanged. Ex.: Mass Effect Legendary edition.

This clearly falls into the second category, at least that is how they are advertising it.

 

[Grimlakin]

Well I'm excited for Dune and that is a new take on bringing the novel or novels to life so yay for that right?

 

[Dan_D]

But it is clearly not a reboot. Rebooting means throwing out the entire story so far, and starting blank. A'la Tomb Raider.

A remake is re-building the game from the grounds up including re-writing, re-mixing, re-recording lines. Ex.: Mafia Definitive Edition

A remaster is leaving the fundamentals in place and doing superficial changes, like lighting, re-texturing, maybe upgrading the engine version the game is running on, but leaving most of the code unchanged. Ex.: Mass Effect Legendary edition.

This clearly falls into the second category, at least that is how they are advertising it.

It is a remake. That's what Aspyr has said about the project.

 

[Burticus]

The less projects that EA or Bioware touch, the better. They're too busy screwing up Anthem 2 to bother with this.

 

[MadMummy76]

The less projects that EA or Bioware touch, the better. They're too busy screwing up Anthem 2 to bother with this.

What? No way Anthem gets a sequel after the colossal flop it was. Bioware should be busy screwing up dragon age 4 nowadays. And maybe ME4 or 5 depending on your disposition.

 

[Burticus]

What? No way Anthem gets a sequel after the colossal flop it was. Bioware should be busy screwing up dragon age 4 nowadays. And maybe ME4 or 5 depending on your disposition.

I thought they were doing Anthem 2, but you're right it got cancelled. Interwebs say the one in the oven is Mass Effect related.

And honestly I think Anthem had some things going right for it that they could try to fix in a sequel. The 1st one is too broken to patch out, and no one is playing it any more anyway. Beautiful game though.

 

[Dan_D]

I thought they were doing Anthem 2, but you're right it got cancelled. Interwebs say the one in the oven is Mass Effect related.

And honestly I think Anthem had some things going right for it that they could try to fix in a sequel. The 1st one is too broken to patch out, and no one is playing it any more anyway. Beautiful game though.

BioWare was working on a project called "Anthem Next." It was not a sequel to Anthem but rather a complete overhaul of the original game in an effort to save it and bring it more in line with what the company had originally promised as well as taking into account the game's criticisms and improving it. After a year of development on the revamped game, their EA overlords looked at what BioWare presented and pulled the plug. Apparently, the powers that be didn't feel it was worth continued funding and that what it had to offer, wouldn't have turned the game around enough.

 

[MadMummy76]

BioWare was working on a project called "Anthem Next." It was not a sequel to Anthem but rather a complete overhaul of the original game in an effort to save it and bring it more in line with what the company had originally promised as well as taking into account the game's criticisms and improving it. After a year of development on the revamped game, their EA overlords looked at what BioWare presented and pulled the plug. Apparently, the powers that be didn't feel it was worth continued funding and that what it had to offer, wouldn't have turned the game around enough.

I think the argument against it was that too many players have left already and EA didn't think they could be won back, and enough new players gained to make the effort worthwhile.

I'm actually glad they abandoned it, and focused their efforts on single player games. Now that doesn't mean I'm optimistic about the prospects of DA4 or ME4, but rather taking the wait and see approach.

 

[Dan_D]

I think the argument against it was that too many players have left already and EA didn't think they could be won back, and enough new players gained to make the effort worthwhile.

I'm actually glad they abandoned it, and focused their efforts on single player games. Now that doesn't mean I'm optimistic about the prospects of DA4 or ME4, but rather taking the wait and see approach.

Well, the success of Fallen Order and the failure of games like Anthem help send a message that there is clearly a market for quality single player games. I think that's the only reason why Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect 5 got the green light to be single player games. It's what BioWare used to be good at and what fans clearly want.

That said, you are correct about Anthem. The game was pretty much abandoned by all but the most hardcore of its fan base and taking two years of redevelopment wasn't likely to bring everyone back. I think they hoped they could have a No Man's Sky kind of turn around but two years with no content wouldn't allow for that to happen.

 

[MadMummy76]

That said, you are correct about Anthem. The game was pretty much abandoned by all but the most hardcore of its fan base and taking two years of redevelopment wasn't likely to bring everyone back. I think they hoped they could have a No Man's Sky kind of turn around but two years with no content wouldn't allow for that to happen.

That reminds me of the ongoing failure that is APB. I can't believe that game still exists, and still being updated. That game supposedly cost $100 million. And flopped so hard that it was shut down within a year, to be sold and relaunched later as F2P. It has been sold multiple times since, but it's still kicking and being worked on. It first launched in 2010.